Updating Tuesday . .   

Grandparents, dancers, community builders: All 11 killed in Monterey Park shooting identified -- All 11 people killed in the Monterey Park shooting have been identified. They’re remembered as dancers, beloved family members and pillars of the community. Christi Carras, Grace Toohey, Hayley Smith, Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

California reeling from back-to-back shootings that killed 24: ‘Too much bloodshed’ -- Three mass shootings have been carried out in one week in California, in Goshen, Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay. Salvador Hernandez, Jeong Park, Ruben Vives, Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

Gun used in Monterey Park massacre an assault weapon under state law, known to jam -- A closer look at the MAC-10, the semiautomatic gun that law enforcement say was used in a mass shooting over the weekend that killed 11 people at a Monterey Park dance studio. Libor Jany, James Queally, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

Monterey Park shooter: Glimpses into a life ‘so miserable and desperate’ -- Investigators continued to puzzle over what pushed Huu Can Tran to carry out a mass shooting at a Monterey Park dance studio, focusing on the possibility he was driven by jealousy. Noah Goldberg, Matthew Ormseth, Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

Gov. Newsom meets with Brandon Tsay, man credited with disarming Monterey Park gunman -- “This is what a hero looks like,” the governor wrote in a Twitter post Monday evening. “Brandon did what no one should ever have to do — stopped a gunman at his place of work from killing countless others. Forever grateful for your courage, Brandon.” The item is in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/24/23

Half Moon Bay shooting: Officials say ‘workplace violence’ fueled killing of 7 -- A man accused of killing seven people and injuring one more in Half Moon Bay is set to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon in what authorities are calling a “workplace violence” and the deadliest mass shooting in San Mateo County history, the sheriff and county’s top prosecutor said Tuesday. Matthias Gafni, Rachel Swan, Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Alexandra E. Petri, Salvador Hernandez, Summer Lin, Susanne Rust, Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jakob Rodgers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/24/23

He’s a retired cop. She’s a ‘dancing queen.’ He saved her life at Star Ballroom -- Monterey Park, Calif., survivors recount the mass shooting at a dance haven for the Asian American community. Arelis R. Hernández, Karin Brulliard and Joanna Slater in the Washington Post$ -- 1/24/23

Shootings revive push for an assault weapons ban -- As Californians were dealing with a mass shooting in Monterey Park, the White House on Monday said it was renewing a push for sweeping gun control measures in the Senate that would renew the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. John Yoon in the New York Times$ -- 1/24/23

Guns  

Report: San Jose gun shop inspections by police have big holes -- A newly released city report found major gaps in police inspections of San Jose’s gun shops, including failures to make required surprise visits and complete follow-up reviews of violators. “We’re seeing a lot of inconsistency” in police department’s inspections, City Auditor Joe Rois said. Gabriel Greschler in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/24/23

Google  

U.S. sues Google, calls for breakup of ad-technology ‘monopoly’ -- The U.S. Justice Department and eight states sued Alphabet’s Google, calling for the breakup of the search giant’s ad-technology business over alleged illegal monopolization of the digital advertising market. Leah Nylen Bloomberg in the Los Angeles Times$ Miles Kruppa, Sam Schechner and Dave Michaels in the Wall Street Journal$ Cat Zakrzewski and Rachel Lerman in the Washington Post$ David McCabe and Nico Grant in the New York Times$ Eric Tucker, Barbara Ortutay Associated Press -- 1/24/23

Policy and Politics  

Judge questions clarity of new California law targeting doctors who share COVID-19 misinformation -- A federal judge said Monday that he couldn’t make sense of a critical provision in a new law that punishes doctors for spreading false information about COVID-19 to their patients. Senior Judge William Shubb called its definition of misinformation “nonsense” during a hearing in the United States District Court in Sacramento. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/24/23

Water  

January storms leave L.A. County flood-control dams at risk of overflowing -- Flood-control dams above the communities of Arcadia, Sierra Madre, Pacoima, Sun Valley and Sunland face risk of overflowing, officials say. Louis Sahagún in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

The Fight Over California’s Ancient Water -- Wicks and his colleagues work on behalf of Cadiz, Inc., which has drilled 300 feet below the desert’s surface to reach the massive Fenner aquifer. Brett Simpson, Lenard Smith The Atlantic -- 1/24/23

Workplace   

Google plans to cut about 1,600 Bay Area jobs as tech layoffs worsen -- First wave of job cuts jolt Google workers in Silicon Valley and Southern California. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/24/23

In the wake of massive layoffs, tech workers reconsider their future -- As tech giants lay off scores of workers amid a sector-wide downturn, employees who once considered the Silicon Valley companies a safe long-term bet are reconsidering their allegiances. Brian Contreras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

Walmart to Raise Starting Hourly Wages to $14 From $12 -- Walmart said it is raising wages for its U.S. hourly workers as the country’s largest private employer continues to fight to attract staff in a tight labor market for front-line workers. Sarah Nassauer in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/24/23

Companies Cut Temp Workers in Warning Sign for Labor Market -- Employment through staffing firms has fallen for five straight months; similar pullbacks have preceded recent recessions. Sarah Chaney Cambon in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/24/23

Sacramento-area Peet’s Coffee store becomes chain’s first US location to unionize -- Employees at the North Davis store, located at 1411 W. Covell Blvd. in a shopping center just east of Highway 113, voted 14-1 to unionize with Service Employees International Union Local 1021, Peet’s Workers United announced Friday in social media posts. Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/24/23

Pay Toilets  

Could charging for public restrooms help San Diego cope with downtown’s homelessness crisis? -- San Diego city leaders want the state to lift a nearly 50-year-old ban on pay toilets, which they say could solve a shortage of clean and safe downtown restrooms that repels tourists and puts homeless people’s health at risk. David Garrick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

Electric Vehicles   

Will California start to see even more electric vehicles? Experts say sales are at ‘tipping point’ -- Sales of electric vehicles in California soared to a record high last year, accounting for 18.8% of all new cars sold in the state and leading some analysts to suggest exponential growth could lie ahead. Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/24/23

Also . . .   

Willie Nelson will celebrate his 90th birthday at the Hollywood Bowl -- “I can’t think of a better way to spend my 90th birthday than being surrounded by family, friends and of course the fans who made all this possible,” Nelson said in a press release issued Tuesday morning. “It’s an honor to perform with such an incredible group of artists at such an iconic venue.” Kelli Skye Fadroski in the Orange County Register -- 1/24/23

The Sierra Club Tries to Move Past John Muir, George Floyd and #MeToo -- After a public reckoning and the departure of its executive director, the nation’s largest environmental organization has tapped Ben Jealous as its new leader. David Gelles in the New York Times$ -- 1/24/23

The Cost of a Stamp Just Went Up Again -- The price for a first-class Forever stamp increased to 63 cents from 60 cents, according to the U.S. Postal Service. The last increase was six months ago. Johnny Diaz in the New York Times$ -- 1/24/23

 

California Policy and Politics Tuesday  

Gunfire as children watched: What we know about the Half Moon Bay shooting -- The gunfire rang out Monday afternoon in the farms that dot the coastal hills of San Mateo County in and around Half Moon Bay. When it was over, seven people were dead at multiple agricultural locations. Then, the alleged gunman was found parked next to a Sheriff’s Office substation, where he was taken into custody. Salvador Hernandez, Susanne Rust, Summer Lin, Luke Money, Brittny Mejia, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

Half Moon Bay mass shooting: 7 dead and one injured -- A man opened fire on people at two separate locations in Half Moon Bay on Monday afternoon, killing seven and injuring one, as children witnessed the tragedy unfold, according to law enforcement. The suspect, 67-year-old Zhao Chunli, is believed to be a farmworker who acted alone in the mass shooting, said Sheriff Christina Corpus at an evening press conference. Joel Umanzor, Mallory Moench, Rachel Swan, Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeff Chiu and Olga R. Rodriguez Associated Press Robert Salonga, Jason Green, Aldo Toledo in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/24/23

Monterey Park  

‘Together we will make it through’: Mourners gather at vigil for 11 killed in Monterey Park shooting -- As investigators combed Southern California for anything to help explain the deadliest U.S. mass shooting in months, more than 100 mourners gathered Monday night at a vigil in Monterey Park that served as a sober contrast to the season’s usual Lunar New Year celebrations. Jeong Park, Carlos De Loera, Ruben Vives, Thomas Curwen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

Monterey Park suspect is the oldest mass shooter in recent history -- The gunman who opened fire in a Monterey Park ballroom Saturday and killed 11 people is the oldest person to carry out such an attack in the U.S., according to research. The deadly shooting was as horrifying as it was rare. Salvador Hernandez, Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

United in their love of ballroom dancing and now in death: The victims of the Monterey Park shooting -- Among the 11 victims killed in the weekend massacre at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park — including one person who later died in the hospital — were a beloved aunt with a flair for fashion, a father of two who loved to sing and a manager whose effervescent energy filled the studio. Summer Lin, Jonah Valdez, Rebecca Ellis, Brittny Mejia, Marisa Gerber in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

‘Last dance’: Those slain in California shooting remembered -- Mymy Nhan was a regular at the Star Ballroom for more than a decade, choosing the Los Angeles-area dance hall popular with older Asian Americans as the place to “start the year fresh” with Lunar New Year celebrations, her niece said Monday. Her family now takes some solace knowing that Nhan, one of 11 people shot and killed in Monterey Park by a gunman Saturday night, died after an evening of doing what she loved. Terry Tang, Jamie Stengle Associated Press -- 1/24/23

Lai Lai Ballroom, Alhambra merchants refuse to be terrorized by Monterey Park shooting -- A neon sign flashed “Open” at the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in Alhambra on Monday afternoon, less than two days after an attempted attack at the business by a man authorities say gunned down 11 people at a Monterey Park dance studio. Carlos De Loera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

‘I was gonna die here’: How a man disarmed the Monterey Park shooter -- “That’s when I turned around and saw there was an Asian man holding a gun,” Tsay told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “My first thought was I was gonna die here. This was it.” Nathan Solis, Alexandra E. Petri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

Sheriff seeking what drove ‘mad man’ to shoot up dance hall -- Investigators searching for a motive Monday in the worst mass shooting in Los Angeles County history said the gunman was previously arrested for illegally possessing a firearm, had a rifle at home, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and appeared to be manufacturing gun silencers. Amy Taxin, Stefanie Dazio, Terry Tang, Brian Melley Associated Press Dan Frosch, Alyssa Lukpat, Christine Mai-Duc in the Wall Street Journal$ Tim Arango and Jill Cowan in the New York Times$ -- 1/24/23

Cops took 5 hours to warn dance hall shooter was on the run -- Lost in the aftermath of the Monterey Park, California, ballroom dance hall shooting that left 11 people dead is an alarming fact: It took five hours for authorities to alert the public that the gunman was on the loose Saturday night. Bernard Condon, Jim Mustian, Julie Watson Associated Press -- 1/24/23

Details on shooter, firearms emerge as Monterey Park mourns victims in mass shooting -- As Monterey Park continued to mourn the lives lost in the mass shooting at a popular dance studio, a sharper picture of the gunman emerged as authorities pieced together an elusive motive for the tragedy. Ryan Carter, Sean Emery in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/24/23

You may feel secondary trauma from mass shooting coverage. Therapists discuss ways to cope -- When we read and watch the news after a mass shooting — Buffalo, Laguna Woods and Uvalde last year; and now Monterey Park in 2023 — we can experience what experts call secondary and collective trauma. Jonah Valdez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

Policy and Politics  

California lawmakers face Supreme Court limits as they weigh response to Lunar New Year shooting -- Calls for legislative action following the mass shooting at a dance hall outside Los Angeles were tempered Monday by a hard reality: The legal landscape for gun laws has never looked so bleak. Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White, Alexander Nieves Politico -- 1/24/23

California's wealthiest residents could pay more taxes under new bill -- Multimillionaires and billionaires would face new taxes on their wealth under a bill pushed by a group of California Democrats, who argue the state needs to aggressively crack down on “extreme wealth.” Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/24/23

McCarthy urged to keep fellow Californians Schiff, Swalwell on Intelligence panel -- In a letter to McCarthy, House Democratic leader Jeffries urged the new speaker not to boot Reps. Schiff and Swalwell from the Intelligence committee. Nolan D. McCaskill in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

Walters: Would ‘wealth taxes’ bring big bucks or spur exodus? -- Legislation to impose “wealth taxes” on the fortunes of very wealthy Californians is being proposed, but would they generate new revenue or persuade the rich to flee? Dan Walters CalMatters -- 1/24/23

Workplace    

Oakland police chief demands reinstatement from administrative leave: ‘I didn’t do anything wrong’ -- Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong publicly demanded Monday that he be reinstated immediately from paid administrative leave after officials took him off the job last week following a report that said the department mishandled two officer misconduct cases. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/24/23

Microsoft is pouring $10 billion into S.F. tech startup despite mass layoffs — here’s why -- Microsoft is pouring billions into San Francisco artificial intelligence startup OpenAI in a multiyear partnership, the tech giant confirmed on Monday. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/24/23

Twitter Workplace    

Twitter sued by landlord at S.F. HQ after alleged $6.8 million in missed rent payments -- The landlord said it drew from most of Twitter’s letter of credit security deposit of $3.6 million to satisfy the December rent payment, but Twitter still owes $3.1 million in unpaid rent from January. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Alexa Corse in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/24/23

Musk  

Elon Musk justifies his ‘funding secured’ tweet with a bizarre real estate analogy -- Elon Musk, on trial for civil fraud over his “funding secured” tweet, argued his take-private Tesla plan was a solid “handshake” deal— the same kind of deal he uses to buy houses. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

Homeless

San Francisco will appeal homeless enforcement ban -- San Francisco says it will appeal a federal magistrate’s order prohibiting the removal of homeless people from encampments without offering them shelter — a rule the city insists it’s already following. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/24/23

Climate  

Stinson Beach storm damage expected to worsen as sea rises -- For residents of Stinson Beach, the sight of ocean waves running up their streets, carving away tons of sand, flooding homes and even washing a house or two into the sea every decade or two has been an accepted tradeoff for a beachside lifestyle. Will Houston in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/24/23

Street  

Supervisor argues S.F. is on verge of ‘a catastrophic police staffing shortage.’ Here’s what he wants to do about it -- A San Francisco supervisor is pushing the city to automatically match police officer hiring bonuses from other Northern California jurisdictions as the department grapples with vacant positions and a competitive market nationwide. Mallory Moench in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/24/23

Education  

Stanford MBAs now make a median $175,000 salary after graduation -- The median compensation amount includes a median $175,000 in base salary for 218 graduates who received full-time job offers and disclosed their compensation. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/24/23

UC Berkeley pays cheerleader nearly $700K after three concussions gave her ‘a 24-7 headache’ -- High-flying cheerleaders at UC Berkeley sporting events will receive new protection and training under a $695,000 settlement with a former student who suffered three concussions in five months during acrobatic cheerleading in 2017-18. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/24/23

Charts show University of California admissions rates for every public high school in state -- More than 100,000 seniors in high schools across California apply each year for admission into the University of California, one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the country. Nami Sumida in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/24/23

Oakland’s abrupt decision to keep schools open slammed in staff report -- The Oakland school board’s decision this month to keep five underenrolled and low-performing schools from closing at the end of the school year will have dire financial and academic consequences on classrooms across the district, according to a staff analysis of the last-minute reversal. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/24/23

Critics say Newsom's proposal for low-performing students fails most Black students -- Aplan by Gov. Gavin Newsom to increase oversight of all low-performing student groups and focus additional money on the state’s poorest schools has angered a coalition of Black education and civil rights organizations that had pressed him for extra state funding to help Black students. Emma Gallegos, John Fensterwald, Daniel J. Willis EdSource -- 1/24/23

Also . . .   

Everyone hates Ticketmaster. Is everyone wrong? -- If you loathe Ticketmaster for its infamous service fees or the software overload that cost you Taylor Swift tickets this summer, just know that Fred Rosen is unmoved by your anger. August Brown in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/24/23

Wetsuit Shaming in San Francisco Divides Bay Area Swimmers -- The rift, between those who suit up and those who don’t, is legendary. ‘We’re here, we wear gear. Get used to it!’ Robert McMillan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/24/23

A ‘Big Night’ for Newts, and for a California Newt Brigade -- Salamanders get a little help across the road from some two-legged friends in Northern California. Annie Roth, Ian C. Bates in the New York Times$ -- 1/24/23

 

Monday Updates  

Jealousy, personal dispute probed as possible motives in Monterey Park shooting -- The investigation into a mass shooting in Monterey Park is focused on the gunman’s prior interactions at two dance studios he targeted and whether jealousy over a relationship was the motive, law enforcement sources said. Richard Winton, Matthew Ormseth, Hannah Fry, Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

How the Lunar New Year massacre unfolded: A night of ballroom dancing, terror, manhunt -- The burst of pops sounded, at first, like the firecrackers expected to cap a day of celebration. Jeong Park, Julia Wick, Marisa Gerber, Summer Lin, Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

A Coder Wrested a Pistol From the Gunman’s Hands, Preventing Greater Tragedy -- Brandon Tsay, 26, is being credited with preventing further violence by subduing the gunman before he could kill more people. Victoria Kim in the New York Times$ Richard Winton, Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

All killed in Monterey Park shooting were 50 or older; two identified by coroner -- Officials on Monday identified two of the 10 people killed in Saturday’s mass shooting at a ballroom in Monterey Park amid Lunar New Year celebrations. The victims have been identified as My Nhan, 65, and Lilan Li, 63, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. Brittny Mejia, Summer Lin, Grace Toohey, Alexandra E. Petri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Shooter targets ‘establishments of joy’ in Monterey Park Lunar New Year mass shooting -- Star Ballroom Dance Studio is where international ballroom competitors teach their moves. Where retirees learn how to waltz, tango and samba. Where elderly and middle-aged couples while away Saturday nights. Where they feel safe. And happy. Brittny Mejia, Gabriel San Román, Debbie Truong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Mass shooting in Monterey Park shatters the hope and joy of Lunar New Year -- It was supposed to be a day of heralding the birth of spring with symbolic rituals like wearing red for good luck and eating long-life noodles to ensure good health. Anh Do, Deborah Netburn, Jen Yamato, Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Shyong: The aftermath of shootings often shows us how politically insane our discourse has become -- A few minutes into following my colleagues’ coverage of a mass shooting that left 10 dead and 10 wounded during a Lunar New Year dance party, I started to wonder if years of being a journalist had compromised my humanity. Frank Shyong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Policy and Politics  

We asked Kevin de León’s constituents what they’ve heard about him. Here’s what they said -- A few responses were positive. The vast majority, however, reflect the disaffection many in the district feel toward De León. The poll found that by more than 2 to 1, voters with unfavorable views of De León outnumber those who view him favorably. David Lauter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

Workplace   

Amazon discloses fresh wave of Bay Area job cuts as tech layoffs worsen -- The e-commerce behemoth is eyeing more than 200 layoffs, consisting of more job cuts that are expected to top 100 in both Sunnyvale and San Francisco, Amazon revealed in official WARN notices the company sent to the state Employment Development Department. All told, Amazon has decided to chop 261 jobs in the Bay Area, the WARN letters, dated Jan. 18, show. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/23/23

For Tech Companies, Years of Easy Money Yield to Hard Times -- One largely unacknowledged explanation: An unprecedented era of rock-bottom interest rates has abruptly ended. Money is no longer virtually free. David Streitfeld in the New York Times$ -- 1/23/23

Rain Train  

These ‘bioswales’ were built to help prevent flooding. Here’s how they fared in Bay Area storms -- When San Francisco’s new Southeast Community Center opened in October, the three acres of parkland included an expansive landscaped bioswale that, in theory, would handle the water running off even the most extensive storm. Less than a month later, the theory was put to the test — and it passed with flying colors. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23

Skelton: Uncaptured water isn’t wasted. But more could be stored for a non-rainy day -- A gazillion gallons of stormwater have been rampaging down rivers into the sea. But that uncaptured bounty hasn’t been “wasted.” George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

‘Dry’ California got big rains. Was it really an epic weather forecasting fail? -- For decades, El Niño seemed synonymous with wet winters for Southern California, while La Niña was a heralder of drought. But the would-be model didn’t hold up this winter. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

PG&E wanted to cut down a tree it says poses a fire risk. But a bald eagle nest stirred opposition -- PG&E said the dead tree is at risk of falling and striking a PG&E power line in a high fire-threat area but community and environmental groups say the tree contains a bald eagle nest that must be protected. By Jordan Parker Jordan Parker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23

Housing 

Falling Bay Area home prices expected to keep tumbling amid high interest rates -- The beleaguered Bay Area housing market is showing few signs of a turnaround. Home prices are falling faster here than anywhere else in California, a new report shows, and real estate experts expect them to continue tumbling well into 2023. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/23/23

S.F.’s plan to build 82,000 housing units has been approved by the state -- While the potential punishments for not having a certified housing element are severe — they include losing out on state funding for affordable housing and transportation, approving the plan is just the start of what will likely be an intense and politically controversial three-year process of rezoning entire neighborhoods in order to allow multi-family buildings. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23

Street  

S.F. police often use these marijuana-related words to justify unfounded searches of Black people -- San Francisco police officers regularly claim they suspect marijuana or smell a suspicious odor to justify unfounded searches of Black people in the city, a Chronicle analysis of more than three years of stop data has found. Susie Neilson , Justin Phillips in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23

Oakland police chief requests reinstatement from administrative leave -- Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong will ask on Monday to be reinstated immediately, less than a week after he was placed on paid administrative leave over a new report that said the department mishandled two officer misconduct cases. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23

COVID+  

Has California avoided another devastating winter COVID wave? -- In the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, winter holidays were marred by a pair of devastating waves that ripped through California, sending case counts soaring, residents to the hospital in droves and, ultimately, leaving thousands dead. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/23/23

FDA proposes switching to annual coronavirus vaccine, mimicking flu model -- The proposed change is designed to reduce the complexity of the vaccine regimen for the public, doctors and manufacturers. Laurie McGinley in the Washington Post$ -- 1/23/23

Education  

S.F. middle school blasted for ‘staffing chaos’ in legal complaint: ‘Inaction is not an option’ -- A civil rights law firm filed a complaint against the San Francisco school district over the “staffing chaos” at Marina Middle School, describing the conditions as the worst they’ve seen in over 20 years. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/23/23

Pelosi's Desk  

Jury Convicts Jan. 6 Rioter Richard Barnett Who Put Feet on Desk in Nancy Pelosi’s Office -- After three hours of deliberation, the jurors convicted Richard Barnett on all eight of the charges he faced, including interfering with a police officer, obstructing an official proceeding and remaining in a restricted building with a dangerous weapon. He is scheduled to be sentenced in May. Jan Wolfe in the Wall Street Journal$ Paul Duggan in the Washington Post$ -- 1/23/23

Environment  

‘A treasure’: Land trust preserves 839-acre property with redwoods and panoramic ocean views south of Silicon Valley -- Not all of the most breathtaking pieces of property in Northern California are public parks. Some have been in the same family, nurtured and loved for generations, even before parks existed in California. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/23/23